Method of preserving plant-leaves, flowers, butterflies, and the like.



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'l'HElEtlEfilE REINHERE, U15" MUNIQJIH, lEllElEtllllhdJtllif.

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.by boiling and treatment with lime, but these methods are not applicable to more sensitive vegetable products, that is to say flowers, tor the preservation of which treat ment with spirit or ether has been proposed, but is too expensive for general use. A ditterent type or treatment, which has been proposed and is also applicable to butter flies and the like, consists in coating the object on one side with a liquid mass which subsequently solidifies, so as to atlord a more or less rigid support, and subsequently dipping the object into a mass adapted to term thereon a coating which likewise solidifies and thus envelope the object with a protective film or skin. This method has not come into general use owing to lack of suitable materials for carrying it into ellect. The coating of the object, after drying it, with a mixture of linseed oil varnish and gluey matter has also been proposed. Mixtures of gelatin, glycerin and oil have been used for producing air-tight coverings for tlesh, fruit and the like.

My invention consists in a simple and cheap method of preserving flowers, leaves, butterflies and the like by means of a coat ing which is applied to one side only of the object to be preserved, and does not aiit'ect the appearance, more particularly the color, of the visible surface of the specimen. To this end I use a concentrated aqueous solution of a colloid substance such as gelatin, white glue or the like, mixed with an oily substance such as castor oil, liquid paraflin or the like, and with glycerin, the colloid substance and oily substance being in about equal parts, but the proportion of glycerin being equal to only about one quarter oi the {specification ct Letters Patent.

application filed March 3, i913.

Patented fillet, dd, Ill'dlld Serial No. ltl'ljl'lifl proportion 0t" oil. To this miirturel add carbonate of magnesium and Venetian turpentme. 'llhe proportion of water depends on the nature of the specimen, delicate flowers require a thinner solution than more robust specimens. lit will be understood that if ay use a mixture of oils, for example cast-or oil mixed with paraitin. "llns mixture 1 apply to the reverse surface of the specimen.

The gelatin, glue or the like sets and gives the requisite mechanical. support, the oil preserving the suppleness or the specimen. llhe glycerin acts to prevent brittleness, and the carbonate oi magnesium, ol' which ll may use about one titth oi the weight of the collo-id substance, thickens and whitens the mixture and preserves the shape of the specimen. The Venetian turpentine assists in binding the mixture to the specimen. litter application of the mixture the specimen is dried.

ln general the proportions ot the ingredients used tor the preserving mixture vary somewhat according to the nature of the specimens. The thicker, heavier tlowers require stronger solutions than delicate flowers, and regard must be had to the amount of water or oil already present in specimen.

No special skill is required for applying the mixture; it can tor example, be use by nursery gardeners to preserve flowers, grown for sale, from destruction by frost. lit can also be used by collectors in uncivilized regions for preserving specimens for scientific purposes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United @tates is The method of preserving flowers, leaves, butterflies and like specimens, which consists in' applying acoating consisting of a mixture of colloid matter, oily matter, glycerin, carbonate of magnesium and Venetian turpentine.

In testimony whereof l hereunto atlir my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

-lllilERESE REINHERZ.

Witnesses:

Orro banana, A. V W. Co'r'rIas. 

